Hornets Bench Naz Reid During 97-89 Loss to Pistons

Coach Charles Lee benched Naz Reid for the second half of Wednesday's 97-89 loss to Detroit after the forward recorded seven points in 13 minutes.

The Detroit Pistons defeated the Charlotte Hornets 97-89 on Wednesday, a contest marked by coach Charles Lee benching newly acquired forward Naz Reid for the entire second half. Reid, a former Sixth Man of the Year, finished the game with seven points on 2-of-6 shooting across 13 minutes of play. Lee stated postgame that the 26-year-old did not meet the team's standards during the first half.

Charlotte held a 51-44 lead at halftime behind 21 points from Brandon Miller and a 6-0 edge in second-chance points. However, Detroit opened the third quarter with a 16-5 run, forcing eight turnovers in the period to take a 76-70 lead. Miller finished the night with 31 points and 12 rebounds but struggled in the closing minutes, missing five of his seven field goal attempts in the fourth quarter as Charlotte committed five additional turnovers.

Reid arrived in Charlotte as part of a trade that sent LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The deal also provided the Hornets with an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033), and pick swaps in 2028, 2029, and 2030. Reid is currently in the second season of a five-year contract worth $125 million.